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    Back to Good Food

    Good Food

    We Love the Funk

    Much of the food and drink we love is fermented, from beer and wine to bread and chocolate. But what makes a fish sauce ice cream a good idea? The Willy Wonka of Salt & Straw , Tyler Malek, explains how he injects the funkiness of fermentation into his frozen confections.

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    By Evan Kleiman • Jul 8, 2016 • 1 min read

    Much of the food and drink we love is fermented, from beer and wine to bread and chocolate. But what makes a fish sauce ice cream a good idea? The Willy Wonka of Salt & Straw, Tyler Malek, explains how he injects the funkiness of fermentation into his frozen confections. You can taste Malek’s ice cream — he switches up the menu monthly — at Salt & Straw’s LA locations (Venice, Larchmont Village, Studio City) and in Portland, Oregon. To hear about more fermented foods we love, listen to our interview with Simran Sethi that aired earlier this year.

    Music: "Autumn Sweater" by Yo La Tengo

    The full episode

    3 of 7
    Cast iron skillets, corn, slaughterhouses, Azerbaijani food
    1. 0:30Escargot, My Car Go...to Spring in Downtown LA
    2. 8:01Pomegranates and Saffron
    3. 18:05We Love the FunkYou’re reading this
    4. 25:07Corn and Tomatillo Salad with Crispy Pig Ears
    5. 32:16A Love Affair with the Cast Iron Skillet
    6. 42:22Dangerous Jobs, Cheap Meat
    7. 53:25All Hail to the Neon Catfish God
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Evan Kleiman

      host 'Good Food'

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Laryl Garcia

      Senior Director, Good Food

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Abbie Fentress Swanson

      Independent reporter and producer

    • KCRW placeholder

      Camellia Tse

      Producer, Good Food

    • KCRW placeholder

      Tyler Malek

      Salt & Straw

      CultureFood & Drink

    The full episode

    3 of 7
    Cast iron skillets, corn, slaughterhouses, Azerbaijani food
    1. 0:30Escargot, My Car Go...to Spring in Downtown LA
    2. 8:01Pomegranates and Saffron
    3. 18:05We Love the FunkYou’re reading this
    4. 25:07Corn and Tomatillo Salad with Crispy Pig Ears
    5. 32:16A Love Affair with the Cast Iron Skillet
    6. 42:22Dangerous Jobs, Cheap Meat
    7. 53:25All Hail to the Neon Catfish God
    Back to Good Food